LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A watch party organized by Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Football Club of Friday's Portugal-Spain 2018 FIFA World Cup game will be held at The Garage featuring the Motor Club restaurant and sports bar in Palms.
The opening game of the tournament for both teams is set to begin at 11 a.m. The party will include beer specials, raffle items and giveaways.
LAFC will team up with members of its Bar Partner Program for watch parties during the World Cup's group stage. The second party will be held Saturday at La Cita in downtown Los Angeles with three games, beginning with the 6 a.m. game between Argentina and Iceland.
Telemundo's Spanish-language coverage of the Portugal-Spain game will be shown live on a movie-size screen at the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills.
Admission is free. Paley Center members receive preferred seating.
Games throughout the tournament will be shown at the Paley Center. Games that include a Spanish-speaking nation will be shown in Spanish.
The game at Fisht Stadium in Sochi, Russia, comes two days after Spain fired coach Julen Lopetegui because of his hiring by UEFA Champions League winner Real Madrid as its coach.
``We have been forced to dispense with the national coach,'' Luis Rubiales, president of Spain's national soccer federation, said Wednesday in announcing the coaching change. ``We are all very affected. We have to think what is best for the Spanish FA and for the team. From this afternoon on, we'll be all together to pull in the same direction."
Fernando Hierro, who had been the team's sporting director, was selected to replace Lopetegui.
Spain is 10th in the rankings compiled by FIFA, soccer's international governing body, six spots behind Portugal, the 2016 European champion, which is led by forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been selected as the world's best player four of the past five years.
Both teams are expected to advance out of Group B into the single- elimination portion of the tournament. The group also includes Iran and Morocco.
Spain leads the series 16-6. There have been 13 ties.
Portugal's roster consists of six players who play for teams in Portugal, four in England, three in Turkey, two each in France, Italy and Spain and one each in China, Germany, Russia and Scotland.
Seventeen of Spain's players play for Spanish teams, four in England and one each in Germany and Italy.
Ronaldo is teammates with six Spanish players on Real Madrid, while fellow Portuguese forward Goncalo Guedes is a teammate of Spanish forward Rodrigo with Valencia. Spanish forward David Silva and Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva are teammates at Manchester City. The Silvas are not related.
Photo: Getty Images